North Central Climate Science Center | University Consortium - Impact Analysishttp://nccsc.colostate.edu/portfolio/term/impact-analysis
enAndrew Hansen of Montana State University Recognized by NCCWSChttp://nccsc.colostate.edu/news/andrew-hansen-montana-state-university-recognized-nccwsc
<div class="field field-name-title field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="dc:title"><h2>Andrew Hansen of Montana State University Recognized by NCCWSC</h2></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>Our affiliate out of Montana State University <a href="http://www.montana.edu/hansenlab/">Andrew Hansen</a> was recently recognized by the <a href="https://nccwsc.usgs.gov/">National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center (NCCWSC)</a> for his work on the vulnerability of national parks to climate and land use change. Read more from NCCWSC <a href="https://nccwsc.usgs.gov/content/how-vulnerable-are-national-parks-climate-and-land-use-change">here</a> or visit websites with the NC CSC <a href="https://nccwsc.usgs.gov/display-project/4f83509de4b0e84f60868124/504a01afe4b02b6b9f7bd940">project</a> or full <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1890/13-0905.1/abstract">paper</a>. </p>
<!--break--><p>Full link: <a href="https://nccwsc.usgs.gov/content/how-vulnerable-are-national-parks-climate-and-land-use-change">https://nccwsc.usgs.gov/content/how-vulnerable-are-national-parks-climat...</a><br />
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-portfolio-term field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="textformatter-list"><a href="/portfolio/term/impact-analysis">Impact Analysis</a></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-portfolio-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://nccsc.colostate.edu/sites/default/files/styles/portfolio_view/public/Screen%20Shot%202016-07-25%20at%205.06.12%20PM.png?itok=tKJpncS_" width="600" height="335" alt="" /></div></div></div>Mon, 25 Jul 2016 23:06:42 +0000nccsc-preview591 at http://nccsc.colostate.eduhttp://nccsc.colostate.edu/news/andrew-hansen-montana-state-university-recognized-nccwsc#commentsTopoWX Annual Update Complete http://nccsc.colostate.edu/news/topowx-annual-update-complete
<div class="field field-name-title field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="dc:title"><h2>TopoWX Annual Update Complete </h2></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>The online topoclimatic air temperature dataset TopoWX went through a round of annual updates that included incorporating new observations and utilizing enhanced models. For the newest datasets (1948-2015), visit <a href="https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/54dd5e52e4b08de9379b3902?community=Geo+Data+Portal+Catalog">ScienceBase</a> or the <a href="http://cida.usgs.gov/gdp/client/#!catalog/gdp/dataset/54dd5e52e4b08de9379b3902">U.S. Geological Survey Geo Data Portal</a>. </p>
<p>The dataset is open source and represents the conterminous U.S. states. Because the data have been updated, new versions of TopoWX are not compatible with older versions. </p>
<!--break--><p>Full links:<br />
ScienceBase: <a href="https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/54dd5e52e4b08de9379b3902?community=Geo+Data+Portal+Catalog">https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/item/54dd5e52e4b08de9379b3902?commun...</a><br />
USGS Geo Data Portal: <a href="http://cida.usgs.gov/gdp/client/#!catalog/gdp/dataset/54dd5e52e4b08de9379b3902">http://cida.usgs.gov/gdp/client/#!catalog/gdp/dataset/54dd5e52e4b08de937...</a></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-portfolio-term field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="textformatter-list"><a href="/portfolio/term/impact-analysis">Impact Analysis</a>, <a href="/portfolio/term/capacity-building">Capacity Building</a></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-portfolio-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://nccsc.colostate.edu/sites/default/files/styles/portfolio_view/public/Screen%20Shot%202016-07-13%20at%2012.56.11%20PM.png?itok=C8yJ9aNz" width="600" height="400" alt="" /></div></div></div>Wed, 13 Jul 2016 19:04:14 +0000nccsc-preview588 at http://nccsc.colostate.eduhttp://nccsc.colostate.edu/news/topowx-annual-update-complete#commentsNCCSC Recognized with Climate Adaptation Leadership Awardhttp://nccsc.colostate.edu/news/nccsc-recognized-climate-adaptation-leadership-award
<div class="field field-name-title field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="dc:title"><h2>NCCSC Recognized with Climate Adaptation Leadership Award</h2></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><span style="color: rgb(29, 33, 41); font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">The NCCSC was recently granted an Honorable Mention by the <a href="http://www.wildlifeadaptationstrategy.gov/award.php">2016 Climate Adaptation Leadership Awards</a> for its work on an assessment of how key habitat types could be affected by climate change in Colorado’s 2016 State Wildlife Action Plan, part of a collaboration with </span><a class="profileLink" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=104599519602883" href="http://cpw.state.co.us/" style="color: rgb(54, 88, 153); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">Colorado Parks and Wildlife</a><span style="color: rgb(29, 33, 41); font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;"> and the </span><a class="profileLink" data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/page.php?id=108028742591153" href="http://www.cnhp.colostate.edu/" style="color: rgb(54, 88, 153); cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">Colorado Natural Heritage Program</a><span style="color: rgb(29, 33, 41); font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;">. </span></p>
<!--break--></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-portfolio-term field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="textformatter-list"><a href="/portfolio/term/impact-analysis">Impact Analysis</a></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-portfolio-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://nccsc.colostate.edu/sites/default/files/styles/portfolio_view/public/Screen%20Shot%202016-06-17%20at%2012.15.27%20PM.png?itok=hD5xNBWA" width="600" height="350" alt="" /></div></div></div>Fri, 17 Jun 2016 18:38:15 +0000NC-CSC578 at http://nccsc.colostate.eduhttp://nccsc.colostate.edu/news/nccsc-recognized-climate-adaptation-leadership-award#commentsNCUC Member, Diane Debinski, Gives Seminar Hosted by SE CSChttp://nccsc.colostate.edu/news/ncuc-member-diane-debinski-gives-seminar-hosted-se-csc
<div class="field field-name-title field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="dc:title"><h2>NCUC Member, Diane Debinski, Gives Seminar Hosted by SE CSC</h2></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>NCUC member, Diane Debinski of Iowa State University, gave a seminar at North Carolina State University hosted by the SE CSC entitled “Combining Observational and Experimental Studies to Examine Plant and Insect Responses to Climate Change.” </p>
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It is posted as a webinar here: <a href="http://globalchange.ncsu.edu/secsc/resources/media/" target="_blank">http://globalchange.ncsu.edu/secsc/resources/media/</a></div>
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-portfolio-term field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="textformatter-list"><a href="/portfolio/term/impact-analysis">Impact Analysis</a></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-portfolio-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://nccsc.colostate.edu/sites/default/files/styles/portfolio_view/public/Debinski-bttrfly-sm.jpg?itok=cv5cSSpg" width="236" height="350" alt="" /></div></div></div>Tue, 13 Oct 2015 17:50:32 +0000nccsc-preview504 at http://nccsc.colostate.eduhttp://nccsc.colostate.edu/news/ncuc-member-diane-debinski-gives-seminar-hosted-se-csc#commentsNorth Central CSC Hosts Open Science Conferencehttp://nccsc.colostate.edu/news/north-central-csc-hosts-open-science-conference
<div class="field field-name-title field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="dc:title"><h2>North Central CSC Hosts Open Science Conference</h2></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p class="rtejustify">Last week, the North Central Climate Science Center hosted an <a href="http://revampclimate.colostate.edu/event/5-20-2015/2015-open-science-conference" target="_blank">Open Science Conference</a> at Colorado State University. More than 100 scientists, researchers, students, and resource managers attended the event, each contributing their unique views on how to move forward with adaptive management in a changing and uncertain climate.</p>
<p class="rtejustify">A number of key themes emerged from the conference, including: producing actionable science and making research useful and usable by resource managers; collaboration that incorporates the end user from the first stages of research; creating climate-smart plans for drought planning and management in partnership with our indigenous counterparts; recognizing and working through climate uncertainty; and understanding the context that management on the ground occurs inside of.</p>
<p class="rtejustify">The conference opened with a keynote speech from the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science at the Department of Interior Jennifer Gimbel, who commented on the importance of considering climate change holistically and at appropriate ecological scales. She highlighted the importance of context in understanding the reality that resource managers plan and execute decisions inside of, and concluded by stating that the <a href="http://revampclimate.colostate.edu/revamp/funded-projects" target="_blank">NC CSC's solicited management projects</a> represent the type of “partnerships that are needed all over the country.”</p>
<p class="rtejustify">The second day of the conference opened with a presentation by Ben Bobowski of the National Park Service who discussed the need for science to be directly applicable to management on the ground. He commented on the fact that managers, like M*A*S*H* units, work in a day-to-day reactionary mode to ensure safety and the effective operation of programs in their regions. He went on to mention that through meaningful collaboration with climate scientists, decision-makers are able to plan for long-term changes and consider more broad and far-sighted objectives.</p>
<p class="rtejustify">Thursday concluded with a compelling banquet dinner and conversation with Dan Wildcat of Haskell Indian Nations University. Dr. Wildcat discussed the need for a change in perspective on how we consider the environment around us as a “resource” for consumption, and continued to mention the indigenous thinking that has influenced his own perceptions of how to prepare for a changing climate. He contended that modern society exists in an ontology of fear, and that that fear is not a solution to the challenges ahead. Rather, he noted that compassion, collaboration, and meaningful partnerships move us in that direction.</p>
<p class="rtejustify">The North Central Climate Science Center would like to extend a warm thank you to all who attended and participated in the conference. A photo gallery from the event and a summary video of the conference will be available shortly! </p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-portfolio-term field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="textformatter-list"><a href="/portfolio/term/climate-drivers">Climate Drivers</a>, <a href="/portfolio/term/impact-analysis">Impact Analysis</a>, <a href="/portfolio/term/adaptation">Adaptation</a>, <a href="/portfolio/term/revamp">ReVAMP</a>, <a href="/portfolio/term/capacity-building">Capacity Building</a></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-portfolio-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://nccsc.colostate.edu/sites/default/files/styles/portfolio_view/public/150520_climatescience_0479_0.jpg?itok=jqe6mWil" width="600" height="414" alt="" /></div></div></div>Tue, 26 May 2015 19:27:11 +0000leeannsb463 at http://nccsc.colostate.eduhttp://nccsc.colostate.edu/news/north-central-csc-hosts-open-science-conference#commentsSpecial Issue of Yellowstone Science Focuses on Climate Changehttp://nccsc.colostate.edu/news/special-issue-yellowstone-science-focuses-climate-change
<div class="field field-name-title field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="dc:title"><h2>Special Issue of Yellowstone Science Focuses on Climate Change</h2></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p class="rtejustify">In its very first issue in 1992, Yellowstone Science explored possible impacts of changing climate scenarios in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. This month, the publication has released a special issue dedicated specifically to climate research, with contributions from more than 20 researchers across disciplines. Articles focus on snowpack, bird population vulnerability, and loss of ice patches in the region.</p>
<p class="rtejustify">Contributors to this special edition include: <a href="http://revampclimate.colostate.edu/person/andrew-hansen">Andy Hansen</a>, co-lead of the impacts and vulnerabilities team at the North Central Climate Science Center and the <a href="http://revampclimate.colostate.edu/revamp/project/informing-implementation-greater-yellowstone-coordinating-committee%E2%80%99s-gycc-whitebark">Principle Investigator on an NC CSC project in the Greater Yellowstone area</a>; Andrea Ray, a co-investigator on an <a href="http://revampclimate.colostate.edu/revamp/project/scenario-planning-in-the-great-plains">NC CSC management-directed project looking at scaling climate change adaptation</a>; and CSU Professor William Romme who authored the magazine’s first story on climate change 23 years ago.</p>
<p class="rtejustify">In the issue's feature article, Drs. William Romme (CSU) and Monica Turner (U. Wisconsin) discuss changes in climate science over the last two decades, citing both the continued uncertainty in drivers like precipitation, as well as the increased climate certainty that has been a byproduct of vigorous research and monitoring. The authors continue to discuss other considerations from their 1992 article, including changing fire regimes, plant productivity, and carbon storage in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. They conclude by stating that “the need to design creative, long-term monitoring programs sensitive to indications of ecological change is more important now than ever before,” particularly because “the Yellowstone ecosystem now appears less resilient to future change than we thought.”</p>
<p class="rtejustify">To download this and other articles in the April 2015 special climate change issue of Yellowstone Science, <a href="http://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/news/15018.htm">click here</a>. </p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-portfolio-term field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="textformatter-list"><a href="/portfolio/term/climate-drivers">Climate Drivers</a>, <a href="/portfolio/term/impact-analysis">Impact Analysis</a></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-portfolio-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://nccsc.colostate.edu/sites/default/files/styles/portfolio_view/public/yellowstone.jpg?itok=duQv1jbj" width="560" height="241" alt="" /></div></div></div>Thu, 30 Apr 2015 16:59:00 +0000leeannsb451 at http://nccsc.colostate.eduhttp://nccsc.colostate.edu/news/special-issue-yellowstone-science-focuses-climate-change#commentsMedia Spotlight: Scaling Climate Change Adaptation in the Northern Great Plains through Regional Climate Summaries and Local Qualitative-Quantitative Scenario Planning Workshopshttp://nccsc.colostate.edu/news/media-spotlight-scaling-climate
<div class="field field-name-title field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="dc:title"><h2>Media Spotlight: Scaling Climate Change Adaptation in the Northern Great Plains through Regional Climate Summaries and Local Qualitative-Quantitative Scenario Planning Workshops</h2></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p class="rtejustify">The North Central Climate Science Center is excited to announce the five solicited projects recommended for funding in 2015. These projects will guide the research of the NC CSC into the future, ensuring that we build on our foundational science areas and drive research that has direct management implications. For our final media spotlight, we will look at a project led by Amy Symstad of the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center entitled “<a href="http://revampclimate.colostate.edu/revamp/project/scenario-planning-in-the-great-plains">Scaling Climate Change Adaptation in the Northern Great Plains through Regional Climate Summaries and Local Qualitative-Quantitative Scenario Planning Workshops.</a>”</p>
<p class="rtejustify">Resource management in a changing climate faces many challenges because of an uncertain future. To help managers plan for what is to come, research scientists often develop a number of “scenarios” that reflect possible climatic conditions. However, because potential future scenarios are complex and diverse, managers may be overwhelmed by projections. Moreover, climate drivers such as changing temperature and precipitation only present one side of a many-sided issue, and how and where impacts occur, as well as what social and physical capacity exists for adaptation and mitigation of impacts is also important.</p>
<p class="rtejustify">This research project addresses all of these dimensions by combining climate projections, scenario planning workshops, and simulation modeling together in an iterative, participatory process. The work will focus on two specific areas within the north central region: Badlands National Park vicinity (southwest South Dakota) and Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site (central North Dakota). By scaling multi-dimensional climate issues to these two regions and creating three to five future scenarios, researchers hope to establish a streamlined method for building regional climate summaries and applying them directly to local scenario planning initiatives. The process involved in modeling projections, discussing options, and running simulation models helps empower stakeholders to address climate change adaptation locally and to plan for an uncertain future. In addition, this research team hopes to develop a model for climate adaptation planning that can extend beyond the northern Great Plains to inform management elsewhere in the north central region.</p>
<p class="rtejustify">For more information on this and other solicited projects supported by the NC CSC,<a href="http://revampclimate.colostate.edu/revamp/funded-projects"> click here</a>. </p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-portfolio-term field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="textformatter-list"><a href="/portfolio/term/impact-analysis">Impact Analysis</a>, <a href="/portfolio/term/revamp">ReVAMP</a>, <a href="/portfolio/term/capacity-building">Capacity Building</a></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-portfolio-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://nccsc.colostate.edu/sites/default/files/styles/portfolio_view/public/FY15%20Symstad%20bison%20entering%20river%20by%20Amy%20Symstad%20USGS.jpg?itok=8CQk9M7M" width="600" height="449" alt="" /></div></div></div>Wed, 08 Apr 2015 21:39:24 +0000leeannsb443 at http://nccsc.colostate.eduhttp://nccsc.colostate.edu/news/media-spotlight-scaling-climate#commentsMedia Spotlight: Forecasting Changes in Sagebrush Distribution and Abundance under Climate Change: Integration of Spatial, Temporal, and Mechanistic Modelshttp://nccsc.colostate.edu/news/media-highlight-sagebrush-distribution
<div class="field field-name-title field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="dc:title"><h2>Media Spotlight: Forecasting Changes in Sagebrush Distribution and Abundance under Climate Change: Integration of Spatial, Temporal, and Mechanistic Models</h2></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p class="rtejustify">For the last month, the North Central Climate Science Center has been highlighting each of the recently announced projects recommended for funding in 2015 that will guide our revamp work in the years to come. This week, we will look at a project lead by Benjamin Poulter of Montana State University entitled “<a href="http://revampclimate.colostate.edu/revamp/project/sagebrush-distribution">Forecasting Changes in Sagebrush Distribution and Abundance under Climate Change: Integration of Spatial, Temporal, and Mechanistic Models.</a>”</p>
<p class="rtejustify">The Western United States is largely covered by sagebrush, a key habitat for species such as the Sage Grouse which is current being considered for listing under the Endangered Species Act. Sage brush comprises the basis for an important ecosystem in the American West, but it is one that is susceptible to fire, invasive species, land use impacts, and climate change. In order for resource managers to effectively plan for the conservation of sage grouse, a thorough understanding of what is happening to this ecosystem is necessary. To date, much research on sage brush environments has relied on species distribution models that do not fully consider the complicated reality of resource management for this impacted vegetation. However, by combining these species distribution models with process-based global vegetation models, historical data, and carbon and water related variables, this research will provide insight into the current and future state of sagebrush beyond a “presence-absence” by accounting for abundance and species interactions.</p>
<p><img alt="" src="/sites/default/files/Capture_0.PNG" style="text-align: justify; width: 500px; height: 171px; float: right; margin: 10px;" /></p>
<p class="rtejustify">This project focuses on forecasting the effects of climate change on the distribution and abundance of big sagebrush throughout the intermountain west to inform conservation planning and sage grouse management. By combining current models with historical data and disturbance inputs, researchers hope to offer projections to land managers with a higher level of confidence about future scenarios for this important species. Communicating the results of these models to land managers is a key component of this project, and the team plans to create a schematic that synthesizes confidence in trends for land cover at different elevations and locations.</p>
<p class="rtejustify">More information on this and other revamp projects can be found on our <a href="http://revampclimate.colostate.edu/revamp/funded-projects">website</a>. </p>
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</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-portfolio-term field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="textformatter-list"><a href="/portfolio/term/impact-analysis">Impact Analysis</a>, <a href="/portfolio/term/revamp">ReVAMP</a></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-portfolio-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://nccsc.colostate.edu/sites/default/files/styles/portfolio_view/public/FY15%20Poulter%20sagebrush_0.JPG?itok=kJFNWBr2" width="600" height="492" alt="" /></div></div></div>Tue, 07 Apr 2015 22:21:16 +0000leeannsb442 at http://nccsc.colostate.eduhttp://nccsc.colostate.edu/news/media-highlight-sagebrush-distribution#commentsMedia Spotlight: The Wind River Indian Reservations’ Vulnerability to the Impacts of Drought and the Development of Decision Tools to Support Drought Preparednesshttp://nccsc.colostate.edu/news/media-spotlight-wind-river-project
<div class="field field-name-title field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="dc:title"><h2>Media Spotlight: The Wind River Indian Reservations’ Vulnerability to the Impacts of Drought and the Development of Decision Tools to Support Drought Preparedness</h2></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p class="rtejustify">For the month of March, the North Central Climate Science Center will be highlighting each of the recently announced projects recommended for funding in 2015 that will guide our revamp work in the years to come. This week, we will look at a project lead by Dr. Cody Knutson of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln entitled “<a href="http://revampclimate.colostate.edu/revamp/project/wind-river-drought-preparedness">The Wind River Indian Reservation’s Vulnerability to the Impacts of Drought and the Development of Decision Tools to Support Drought Preparedness</a>.”</p>
<p class="rtejustify">Frequent and severe drought is common in parts of the north central United States, and without a systematic approach and capacity to monitor rainfall data and drought impacts, many Native American communities are left vulnerable. The Wind River Indian Reservation (WRIR) in western Wyoming, which encompasses 2.2 million acres of irrigated agriculture, desert grassland, sagebrush steppe, and alpine forest, is one such community. To address their vulnerable positioning, leadership from the reservation has outlined a number of drought priorities, including:</p>
<p class="rtejustify">1. Managing water and vegetation on agricultural and rangelands;</p>
<p class="rtejustify">2. Minimizing impacts on ungulates and substantive harvest and cultural activities;</p>
<p class="rtejustify">3. Protecting fisheries health; and</p>
<p class="rtejustify">4. Maintaining human health and wellbeing.</p>
<p class="rtejustify">In response to this demand, this highly collaborative research team is taking a social-ecological systems approach to addressing some of the climate-related vulnerability issues facing the WRIR community. Importantly, this research also strives to correct gaps in capacity by engaging tribal resource managers, youth, and elders in drought science and preparedness education programs that facilitate multi-generational tribal knowledge approaches to land, water, and livestock management. The development of a series of decision tools to support drought preparedness will be vital in advancing the capacity of these tribal members in the face of a changing climate. Additionally, the project hopes to establish a set of lessons-learned that can be transferable to other resource managers in the north central region.</p>
<p class="rtejustify">One of the core principles of this project is a focus on enhancing collaborative learning between research scientists and traditional knowledge communities. Leveraging both of these unique capacities will allow scientists to pool data and create tools that tribal leaders will be able to utilize over a longer-range future. This is particularly important as the region is home to several native species of concern, including the Yellowstone cutthroat trout and the greater sage grouse that are likely to be threatened by changes in climate and water availability.</p>
<p class="rtejustify">For more information on this and other funded projects, click <a href="http://revampclimate.colostate.edu/revamp/funded-projects">here. </a></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-portfolio-term field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="textformatter-list"><a href="/portfolio/term/impact-analysis">Impact Analysis</a>, <a href="/portfolio/term/adaptation">Adaptation</a>, <a href="/portfolio/term/revamp">ReVAMP</a>, <a href="/portfolio/term/capacity-building">Capacity Building</a></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-portfolio-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://nccsc.colostate.edu/sites/default/files/styles/portfolio_view/public/FY15%20Knutson%20Windriver%20credit%20Shannon%20McNeeley.JPG?itok=_VsYuL7f" width="600" height="450" alt="" /></div></div></div>Sat, 28 Mar 2015 18:59:58 +0000leeannsb440 at http://nccsc.colostate.eduhttp://nccsc.colostate.edu/news/media-spotlight-wind-river-project#commentsMedia Spotlight: Informing Adaptation Strategies for Maintaining Landscape Connectivity for Norther Rockies Wildlife in the Face of Climate Changehttp://nccsc.colostate.edu/news/media-spotlight-landscape-connectivity
<div class="field field-name-title field-type-ds field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="dc:title"><h2>Media Spotlight: Informing Adaptation Strategies for Maintaining Landscape Connectivity for Norther Rockies Wildlife in the Face of Climate Change</h2></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p>For the month of March, the North Central Climate Science Center will be highlighting each of the recently announced projects recommended for funding in 2015 that will guide our revamp work in the years to come. This week, we will look at a project lead by Steven Hostetler of the Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center entitled “<a href="http://revampclimate.colostate.edu/revamp/project/landscape-connectivity">Informing Adaptation Strategies for Maintaining Landscape Connectivity for Northern Rockies Wildlife in the Face of Climate Change.</a>”</p>
<p>The way that human communities divide parcels of land can have a detrimental impact on local species, particularly when new development cuts off corridors of travel between important ecological biomes. Because the full impact of climate change on each of these biomes has not yet been realized, it is important now more than ever to ensure that land management objectives focus on enhancing landscape connectivity and protecting these important passageways.</p>
<p>The northern Rockies are home to the greatest diversity of large carnivores and ungulates in the continental US, but many of these species are threatened by climate change and land fragmentation resulting from human activity. Ensuring landscape connectivity may be the most important key in supporting the capacity for wildlife to adapt to a changing climate, which will require first understanding which parcels of land are the most vulnerable to change, which are the most important for wildlife movement, and which management options will yield the best results given future climate scenarios.</p>
<p>To answer these questions, Hostetler’s research team will identify conservation targets and assess the vulnerability of each to a changing climate. Partners will then meet at the Fort Collins Science Center’s Resource for Advanced Molding facility to visually explore importance of these connected spaces to determine “priority landscapes”. These regions will be selected backed on the vulnerability assessment, but will also include significant input from management partners. The team will then look at options for climate-smart management plans that can assist decision-makers in the northern Rockies region going forward.</p>
<p>More information on this and other projects recommended for funding can be found <a href="http://revampclimate.colostate.edu/revamp/funded-projects">here.</a></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-portfolio-term field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="textformatter-list"><a href="/portfolio/term/impact-analysis">Impact Analysis</a>, <a href="/portfolio/term/adaptation">Adaptation</a></span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-portfolio-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://nccsc.colostate.edu/sites/default/files/styles/portfolio_view/public/FY15%20Hostetler%20PronghornMigration.jpg?itok=GfcI2jzS" width="600" height="397" alt="" /></div></div></div>Thu, 19 Mar 2015 20:43:16 +0000leeannsb438 at http://nccsc.colostate.eduhttp://nccsc.colostate.edu/news/media-spotlight-landscape-connectivity#comments